Roadside apparatus for automatic train-control systems



May 5, 1925. A 1,536,276

A. G. SHAVER ROADSIDE APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIVG TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMSFiled May 8, 1925 j *i H Je?" az 2J lllillil llllllll INVENTOR.

,y to clear, caution,

conditions.

Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED STATI? es ,g PATENT OFFICE. y

ARCHIBALD G. SIIAVER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, SSIGNGR TO THE IRl".(.`=rAlXl'` SAFETY DEVICES COMPANY, INC., OF NEYHJRK, NQY., A.CORPORATION OF NEW YRK.

ROADSIDE APPARATUS FOR A'UTOIVIATIC LRAINUCONTROL SYSTEMS.

` Application led May 8,

To all .fw/tom Macy concern:

. Be it'knovvn that I, AnoHiBALD Gr. SHAyER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resin dent of Chicago, in vthe, county ot Cook and State ofIllinois, havev invented;ceitain new and useful Improvements in Roadside Apparatus" tor Automatic Train-Control `Systems, `of which thefollowing is a speciiication.

. rlhis invention relates to an automatic train control system, and moreparticularly to a system in which energy is transmitted to trainmechanism for controlling the same from a roadside apparatus operated byroadside energy; and has special reference to the provision of aroadside train control apparatus Which is operated by means of roadsideenergy with absolute safety and With economy.

A prime desideratum ot' my present invention comprehends the provisionof roadside train control apparatus embodying roadside circuits operatedby roadside energy, in which the circuits are maintained normally openin the absence or" need for tratiic regulation, and are closed in thepresence `of such need, so that the sat'ety` factor of normally` closedtrack `circuits is combined `With the energy economy factor ot normallyopen circuits to produce sate and economical automatic. control ottrains.

`@ther desiderata of my present invention comprehend the provision oftrack or roadside apparatus ot the induction type which may be employed,for example, With induction train apparatus of the type disclosed in mycopending application Serial` No. 527,567 of Jan. 7, 1922; the furtherprovision oi an induction roadside apparatus in which inductors areemployed tor transmitting energy to corresponding train appa* ratus,:the said energy being obtained from a source of energy located on theroadside, with the constructionsuch that the inductors are deenergizedin the absence of movement of trains on the readbed and reenergized inthe presence ot such train movements, `vvith the inductors controlled inresponse to tramo conditions; and the still further provision of asystem of this nature in Which `the inductors' are controlled to producetrain operations corresponding A and danger track TQ .the acemrlshment.Utile fefseiss lees. serial 110.637,515.

and such other. objects as -may hereinafter appear, my inventionc`onsists intheffelements `and their `relation one to', the.` other,`as. hereinafter particularly described and sought to be deined `intheclaims, reference being had to the .accompanying drawings toi-ming apart thereof, and in which: `Fig. l 1s a view ot one torinof roadsideapparatus embodying my invention, and

F ig. 2 is a view of a modified form of roadside apparatus embodying myinvention.

Referring now more in detail to Fig., l

of` the drawings, `I show my invention applied to a roadside apparatusof the induction type which may be employedwith the induction traincontrol mechanism disclosed in my abovementio'ned application. Inrthistorni otmy invention the roadside apparatus may comprise setsotniagnetio de-A vices arranged in the insulated blocks or sections of`the track such as A, B, `C and l), the said blocks beingiobtained, inthe usual manner by subdividing the track rails i0, ll into insulatedsections, as shown in the drawings. In the construction` illus` tratedthe magnetic `devices for each block preferably comprise a magneticinert ,element M Which in the operation of the train ,control systemfunctions as a means` for `deenergizing or trippingthe train circuits inthe passage ot a train thereover, and an inductor or inductorsgenerallydesig nated as M', which functions .torloperating `the traincircuits in response to traiiic conditions.

In the system illustrated in Fig. l, the inductor means M comprisesindependent inductors 1Q. and 13 Which function as energy transmittingdevices for transmitting `energy to corresponding orsimilar traininductors for energizing or resetting the train circuits after the samehave been tripped by the inert element M, the operation,y as hereinafterdescribed more in detail, being such that When the inductors l2 and `13of a block are both deenergized, no energy Will be transmitted tothetrain circuits to re-energize the same, this being in response to,danger. tralic. conditions to produce a stop.condition on the vehicle;and when the inductor l2 of -a block is energized, as iii-responsetoclear track conditions, enorgy will` be `transmitted -to the traincirelitsie ee'aiitunrestrted more-ment of the -ot the track, as by meansof the conductors 14 and 15, and normally energized by means ot thetrack batteries 16 provided ttor each block, the distant relays ot` eachblock or section being controlled by a home relay of a succeedingblockor section by means of a circuit vvhich comprises a battery 1'? providedfor each block, conductor 13, distant relay DR of one block, conductor19, contact 20 controlled by a home relay HR ot the next succeedingblock, and conductor 21.

The inductors of one block or section are controlled by the home ordistant relays 'of the next or succeeding block or section,

and to this end the inductors 12 and 13 ot block A tor example arearranged in circuits to be described presently, which circuits areoperated by roadside energy and cont-roller .by the activity of the homeand distant re lays ot the next succeeding block in response to traiiicconditions.

As hereinbe'tore stated, a desideratum ot the invention relates to theprovision ot' roadside control apparatus in which a roadside circuit orcircuits operated by roadside energy is maintained normally open in theabsence of the need of tratlic regulation so as to obtain a maximumeconomy in the use of roadside energy, and is closed only in thepresence of such need to obtain the satety advantages ot the normallyclosed type oi circuit. To accomplish these ends, the track inductor orinductors is arranged in a circuit or circuits controlled by a homerelay of the block or section individual to such inductor and controlledso that the circuit to the induetor is maintained normally open in theabsence ot and is closed in the presence of a train in such section, thesaid circuit being additionally controlled by the home and distantrelays of the next succeeding block in response to the traiiicconditions. 'lo accomplish this constructionally, the inductor 12 in theembodiment shown in Fig. 1 is connected in a circuit including aroadside source oi energy G which may be an alternating currentgenerator, the common conductor 22, conductor 23, contact 24 controlledby a home relay HR, the said contact being normally open when the saidrelay is energized in the absence of a train in the block thereof,conductor 25, inductorv 12, conductor 26, front contact point 27 andcontact 28 (closed When the distant relay DR is energized), conductor29, contact 30, contact point 31 (closed when the heme relay HR isenergized), conductor a condenser 33, conductor 341, andcommon conductor35 back to the generator G.

Inductor 13 is arranged in an independent circuit which may have partscommon to the circuit described, the circuit to the inductor 13including the generator conductors 22 and 23, contact 24 and conductor25, inductor 13, conductor 36, back contact point 37 (open when thedistant relay DR is energized and closed when the same isdeenergized),icontact 28, conductor 29, contact 30, contact point 31,conductor 32, condenser 33, and conductors 34 and 35.

Vliththiscircuit arrangement,it Will be seen that normally in theabsence oi? a train in any oit the sections, the inductors 12 and 13will be in a non-energized state due to the opening ot' the contact 2licommon to the circuits ot the inductors. lllhen a train, however, entersupon a section such as J1, the battery 16 ot such section isshort-circuited and the relay HR otthe said. section is deenergized,with the effect ot closing a contrct 24 controlled thereby to conditionor atleet the circuits oii the inductors to be influenced by theoperation of the home and distant relays ot the next succeeding' blocksuch as B. It ivill be further seen that when a train enters the sectionA, *for example, under clear7 roadside conditions, the home and distantrelays oit the block B ivill be energized so that the inductor 12 isenergized, this to transmit a clear indication to the vehicle mechanism;and that when the train enters block A under caution t-rar'iicconditions, this being the case when another train is in the block C,the home relay ot block (l will be dcen ergized to deenergize thecircuit o't and therefore the distant relay DR ot block B, this havingthe effect ot causing the contact 28 to make on the back contact point37, resulting in the opening otl the circuit to the inductor 12 ot blockA and the closing' o't the circuit to the inductor 13 of such block, sothat a caution indication is transmitted to the train mechanism. Whenthe train enters the block A under danger track conditions, this beingthe case when another train is in the block B, theI home relay HR ofblock B is short-circuited and deenergized, resulting in the opening otthe contact 30 and the deenergizins1` oi both inductors 12 and 13 ofblock d. this having the effect ot failing to transmit energy to thetrain circuits and preventing a modification oit the conditions imposedupon the train by the track tripping means M.

Referring now to Fig. 2 of the drawings` I shovv a modification in whichthe track apparatus is adapted to transmit two instead of threeindications in response, for

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`track section is also example, to a clear and danger track condition.The tracks are also subdivided into insulated blocks or sect-ions suchas A', l, C and D, each section supplied With a track battery 3T andeach provided with a home relay I-IIt" connected tothe opposite rails 39and 40 ot the track as by means ot the conductors 4l and 42respectively. Each provided preferably With a plurality ot magneticelements comprising the inert element M2 and one or a plurality otlinductors M3, tnesaid inductors comprising in the construction shown theinductor elements L3 and 44 for each section arranged in a circuitcontrolled by the home relay I-IR of the section individual to theinductors to close the circuit only When tratlic conditions are to beimpressed upon the train, and by the home relay HR et the nextsucceeding section in response to trallic conditions. The circuit torthe inductors of `any section may comprise the alternating currentgenerator G, common conductor 45, conductor 46, normally open contact47, conductor 48, condenser 49, conductor 50, inductor 44, inductor 43,conductor 51, contact 52 closed upon contact point 53 when the homerelay of the next succeeding section is energized in the absence of atrain in such section and opened when the relay is deenergized in thepresence of such a tra-in, as under danger conditions, conductor 54 andcommon conductor. 55 back to the generator G. y

rlhe` operation ot' the roadside mechanism will in the main be apparentfrom the above detailed description thereof. It will be apparent thatthe circuits to the energy transmitting nie-ans or inductors fed fromthe alternating current source oi energy Gr or G will be maintained openWitlrresulting econonly when tratlic con-trol is unnecessary, and willbe closed to produce the etiect ot a normally closed track circuitsystem When a `train moves over the roadbed.

It will be apparent that While I have il lustrated the principles ot' myinvention in connection with the particular induction circuits as shown,many changes and modifications may be made in the circuits and apparatusWithout departing trom the spirit ot' my invention deiined in thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. In combination With track rails subdivided into insulated blocks orsections, oi a roadside apparatus 'for impressing roadside conditions onmoving vehicles comprising a plurality ot' magnetic devices associatedWith one oft the track sections, one of said devices comprising atripping element and the other a resetting inductor, a circuit for theinductor including a source of energy, a home relay connected to thesection associated With the circuit and operative for normally openingsaid circuit in the absence of a train in such section and tor closingsuch circuit in the presence of a train therein, and home and distantrelays associated with the next succeeding track section for controllingsaid circuit in response to tratiic conditions.

2. In combination With track rails subdivided into insulated blocks orsections, ot a roadside apparatus for impressing roadside conditions onmoving vehicles comprising a plurality oii independent inductors foreach ot the track sections, a circuit for each of the indue-torsincluding a source of energy, a track relay for normally opening bothcircuits associated with inductors of a given section in the absence ofa train and 'for closing the said circuits in the presence of a train insuch section, a track relay associated With the next succeeding sectionfor normally closing both of said circuits in the `absence of a train inthe succeeding' section and t'or opening the same in the presence of atrain therein, and a distant relay associated with the said precedingsection `lor controlling' both `circuits in response to trafficconditions in the second preceding section.`

3. In combination with track rails subdivided into insulated blocks orsections, of a roadside apparatus for impressing roadside conditions oumoving vehicles comprising magnetic devices for each section, themagnetic devices including a tripping element and a plurality ofindependent inductor resetting elements, a circuit for each of theresetting elements, a track relay for normally opening both circuitsassociated With the resetting elements of a given section in the absenceot a train and tor closing the said circuits in the presence of a trainin such section, a track relay associated With the next succeedingsection for normally closing both of said circuits in the absence of atrain in the succeeding section and for opening the same in the presenceof a train therein, and a distant relay associated With the saidsucceeding section for controlling both circuits in response to traliicconditions in a secondsucceeding section.

Signed at Chicago in the county. of Cook and Sta-te of Illinois this the9th day of April A. D. 1923.

ARCHIBALD G. SHAVER.

